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Action of 15 February 1918
|combatant2= |commander1= Chief Skipper A.E. Berry |commander2= Captain Heinecke |strength1= At least 13 drifters, 1 paddle minesweeper |strength2=5 Destroyers |casualties1=* 1 Trawler sunk * 7 drifters sunk * 1 paddle minesweeper sunk * 6 drifters damaged * 3 Royal Naval Reserve officer KIA * 7 skippers KIA * 12 men were KIA * 54 MIA * 13 WIA |casualties2=unknown }} The Action of 15 February 1918 was a naval engagement which occurred during the First World War. The action was fought between a Imperial German destroyer squadron and the lightly armed ships of the Dover Patrol in the Strait of Dover, English Channel. Background By the beginning of 1918 a deep mine barrage across the Dover Strait from Folkestone to Cape Gris Nez, on the French coast was in place. The Germans didn't know of its existence as any U-boats that came across it were destroyed. The minefield worked in combination with a squadron of Royal Navy trawlers who, upon sighting a submarine, would drive it into the minefield by means of gunfire and flares. Between 18 December 1917 and 9 February 1918, five German submarines had been sunk in the minefield. 19 December 1917, January 1918, 26 January 1918, 19 January 1918, 8 February 1918|group="A"}} The Germans didn't know about the minefield and thought the Royal Navy ships were sinking the submarines. The Imperial German Naval command decided to send a Destroyer unit to attack the Royal Navy ships. Action British forces in the Channel sighted a submarine around 1:00 AM on 15 February 1918. As drifters attempted to force the submarine into the minefield in the usual manner, they were attacked by a force of German destroyers. The German ships appeared to use one destroyer to illuminate the target with a searchlight long enough for the other ships to get the range at which point the entire group would fire. The German destroyers enjoyed a considerable advantage in firepower over the smaller and scattered enemy craft and moved from one British vessel to the next, destroying each in turn. In a similar fashion the Violet May was attacked and heavily damaged two Enginemen Ewing and Noble were able to launch a boat and row to safety. When the Germans left, they rowed back and re-boarded their burning ship, treated wounded and brought the fires under control, thus saving their ship. When dawn broke the drifter Courage towed them to Dover. The two engineers each were awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal. Aftermath Ships lost |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destropyer with the loss of all hands. }} |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine warship with the loss of all but one of her crew. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destroyer. Three of her crew survived. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine warship with the loss of three of her crew. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destroyer. }} |desc=The motor launch was shelled and sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserlich Marine destroyer. }} |flag= |desc=The was shelled and set on fire by German torpedo boats. Twelve of her crew were killed. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destroyer. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destroyer. }} |flag= |desc=The naval trawler was sunk in the Strait of Dover by a Kaiserliche Marine destroyer. }} Annotations Bibliography Notes References * * * * - Total pages: 784 Category:Naval battles of World War I involving Germany Category:Naval battles of World War I involving the United Kingdom Category:North Sea operations of World War I Category:Conflicts in 1918 Category:February 1918 events